An experienced user resuming overclocking efforts
An experienced user resuming overclocking efforts
I upgraded roughly six months ago with an i7-11700k, Asus rog maximus XIII Hero Mobo, 32gb Corsair DDR4 RAM (3600mhz, 8x4). I had my previous i7 overclocked and kept it that way. This time I let the ASUS program push the CPU to its limits. The only reason was because I forgot what adjustments were necessary for manual overclocking. Asus handled the CPU well, possibly pushing it too far, causing high temperatures and hitting power limits. It’s being cooled by an nzxt kraken x62.
My concern is, when I manually overclock, what adjustments should I make? What safe temperature and power consumption would be ideal for the CPU? (even though manual overclocking isn’t completely risk-free).
I maintain the same CPU even with 5GHZ all core 1.3750V, which gave a small performance boost. It's really pointless to overclock beyond the 10th generation CPUs. Just adjust the multiplier and increase the voltage for a basic overclock.
in all my experiences, most auto-overclock settings push voltage too high. i suggest beginning at 1.4v and gradually lowering it as needed, ensuring stability at 5ghz. i found a stable configuration of 5ghz at 1.345v using the 11700k, though this is much lower than what other users report. intel says 100°C is the limit, but staying close to that for long periods may reduce lifespan. i haven’t reached high temperatures above 80 in any of my cpus. i prefer keeping components under 60°C during intense use.
Yeah, overclocking feels a bit dull these days. On Ryzen it’s not worth turning off PBO or boosting if you’re not experienced, but tweaking the voltage curve and power consumption can help—less power means more boost. I’ve only built a few modern Intel systems, but the idea is similar, just in a different approach compared to what I’ve read.
GPUs are pretty much the same. Used to think maxing out clocks gave better performance, but with the Vega 64, keeping clocks at stock speeds and pushing them hard would actually improve things thanks to power and temperature limits.
I miss the old days when people used tape to overclock their Core 2 Duos and Quad. I actually did that on a Q6600 for my cousin’s son so he could stream YouTube in high definition.
As others mentioned, contemporary CPUs and GPUs are pushed to their limits by manufacturers, or they use boost algorithms to achieve similar results. The most effective approach is to test lower operating voltages, which can cut power consumption, heat, and noise while allowing the boost algorithm to determine when the power ceiling has been reached.